Responsive Classroom
The guiding principles of Responsive Classroom, which Point Road has adopted are: The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum How children learn is as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand-in hand The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction To be successful academically and socially, children need to learn and practice specific social skills. Five particularly important skills (often referred to in Responsive Classroom as CARES) are:
C ooperation
A ssertion
R esponsibility
E mpathy
S elf-Control
Knowing the children we teach (individually, culturally, and developmentally) is as important as knowing the content we teach How we, the adults at school, work together is as important as our individual competence: Lasting change begins with the adult community (2007, Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.) In order to align our plan with these principles, staff have been involved in professional development and are using the Responsive Classroom language and techniques in their practice.
Some important components that are being incorporated throughout the school include:
Morning Meeting - gathering as a whole class each morning to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead
Rule Creation - helping students create classroom rules to ensure an environment that allows all class members to meet their learning goals
Interactive Modeling - teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a unique modeling technique
Positive Teacher Language - using words and tone as a tool to promote children's active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline
Logical Consequences - responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity
Guided Discovery - introducing classroom materials using a format that encourages independence, creativity, and responsibility
Academic Choice - increasing student learning by allowing students teacher-structured choices in their work
Classroom Organization - setting up the physical room in ways that encourage students' independence, cooperation, and productivity
Working with Families - creating avenues for hearing parents' insights and helping them understand the school's teaching approaches
Collaborative Problem Solving - using conferencing, role playing, and other strategies to resolve problems with students
C ooperation
A ssertion
R esponsibility
E mpathy
S elf-Control
Knowing the children we teach (individually, culturally, and developmentally) is as important as knowing the content we teach How we, the adults at school, work together is as important as our individual competence: Lasting change begins with the adult community (2007, Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.) In order to align our plan with these principles, staff have been involved in professional development and are using the Responsive Classroom language and techniques in their practice.
Some important components that are being incorporated throughout the school include:
Morning Meeting - gathering as a whole class each morning to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead
Rule Creation - helping students create classroom rules to ensure an environment that allows all class members to meet their learning goals
Interactive Modeling - teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a unique modeling technique
Positive Teacher Language - using words and tone as a tool to promote children's active learning, sense of community, and self-discipline
Logical Consequences - responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity
Guided Discovery - introducing classroom materials using a format that encourages independence, creativity, and responsibility
Academic Choice - increasing student learning by allowing students teacher-structured choices in their work
Classroom Organization - setting up the physical room in ways that encourage students' independence, cooperation, and productivity
Working with Families - creating avenues for hearing parents' insights and helping them understand the school's teaching approaches
Collaborative Problem Solving - using conferencing, role playing, and other strategies to resolve problems with students